Q&A with Tobias Seamon

Back in September, we had the privilege of publishing Tobias Seamon’s nonfiction piece, “A Medley of Extemporanea.” Tobias is author of the novel The Magician’s Study, a short story collection The Emperor’s Toy Chest, and the novella The Fair Grounds. A contributing writer with the online magazine, The Morning News, he lives in Albany, New York. We sent him some questions. Here are his answers.

If a ten-year-old kid came up to you and told you she wanted to be a writer, what would you say to her?

I’d say, “That’s fantastic, life is a limited engagement so follow your dreams. Now get the hell off my lawn.”

When you write, do you consider your audience? If so, how?

No, because I’m generally inconsiderate of others and I like to strive for consistency.

How does your piece, “A Medley of Extemporanea,” represent the type of artist you are?

That it offers virtually no moral stance regarding its subject matter is probably representative of something.

Who do you think we should be reading right now, and why?

Andrew Miller–I thought Pure was nearly a perfect novel with its extraordinary combination of language, story, and ideas.